GeneralSaxenda: A Miracle Weight Loss Drug?

Obesity is a disorder that involves excessive body fat. It is a chronic disease that leads to increased risk of serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The cause of obesity is multifactorial, as things like someone’s genetics, environment, and diet and exercise habits can all contribute to an individual’s body composition.

Fortunately, these health problems are preventable through a combination of lifestyle changes and medical interventions. Proper diet, exercise, and positive behavioral changes are simple habits that can have profound effects on weight loss. Oftentimes, however, patients will require medical interventions with prescription medications to help facilitate their weight loss journey. Fortunately, there are a variety of options available, including Saxenda (liraglutide).

Background

Saxenda was originally developed to treat type II diabetes through its effects on insulin resistance, but it has since been discovered to also have significant effects on weight. Saxenda is now also used as a weight loss injection medication and is indicated for overweight adults (BMI ≥27) with weight-related medical problems or obesity (BMI ≥30). Saxenda can also be used in children who weigh above 132 pounds (60 kg) to help them lose and maintain a healthy weight.

Mechanism of Action

Saxenda works on the body’s natural appetite hormone known as glucagon-like-peptide (GLP-1). GLP-1 functions to reduce appetite after ingestion of a meal. The mechanism behind GLP-1 in hunger regulation involves delaying gastric emptying and gut motility. GLP-1 also helps in gastric accommodation, which involves the change in gastric volume that occurs in anticipation of food ingestion. This phenomenon affects an individual’s perception of stomach expansion after food intake.

If the body does not release enough of this hormone, individuals may overeat during a meal or may be more likely to snack between meals. Decreased GLP-1 release after meals can therefore increase somebody’s likelihood of developing obesity. Saxenda, a GLP-1 analogue, stimulates satiety so that patient’s intake less food and consequently lose weight.

Treatment

Saxenda works best when patients use it in combination with healthy lifestyle changes. In a study at the University of Copenhagen, experts found that subjects who were given 3 milligrams of liraglutide daily with a moderate-to-vigorous exercise regimen demonstrated better results compared to those treated with regular activity. The patients that received Saxenda monotherapy lost an average of 15 pounds compared to patients who received Saxenda and regular exercise who lost an average of 21 pounds. These results reached statistical significance with a P value of less than 0.001, indicating the importance of concomitant exercise while taking Saxenda.

Conclusion

It is important that patients understand the mechanism behind their Saxenda therapy so that they can help amplify its weight loss effects through healthy diet and exercise habits. Daily administration of Saxenda in combination with diet and exercise has demonstrated significant weight reduction in overweight or obese individuals. In addition, patients have also had reductions in glycemic variables and cardiometabolic risk factors with an overall improvement in quality of life.

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